1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector.
2. The Prior Art
Electrical connectors of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,557 are well known in the electronics field. As shown in FIG. 8 of the attached drawings, the electrical connector of the '557 patent generally comprises an insulative housing 71 having a base section 72 and two end blocks 74. Each end block 74 defines a bore 75 for receiving a locking block 73. The locking block 73 has a hook 76 extending beyond a front face of the housing 71 for engaging with a mating connector (not shown). The locking block 73 defines an inner-threaded hole 70 for receiving and engaging with a bolt thereby securing the connector to a circuit board (not shown). The locking block 73 is made of plastic and the hook 76 is integrated with the locking block 73 whereby the hook 76 has a poor mechanical strength and may be easily broken. Furthermore, the connector is secured to the circuit board by means of bolts whereby the assembly thereof is time inefficient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,639 discloses an electrical connector which, as shown in FIG. 9, comprises an insulative housing 100 having two end blocks 101. A U-shaped member 102 made of a metal plate by means of stamping and pressing is sideways fit over each end block 101 and fixed thereon. The U-shaped member 102 has an arm 840 on which barbs 820 are formed for engaging with a mating connector. The metal member 102 of the '639 patent's connector overcomes the mechanical deficiency problem of the '557 patent. Nevertheless, the '639 connector is still secured to a circuit board by means of bolts (not shown) thereby complicating assembly of the connector to the circuit board.
It is thus desirable to provide an electrical connector which is readily mounted to a circuit board.